Bonfante, who won his debut here before running second against better at Santa Anita in his second start, looks like the one to catch in Wednesday's feature at Golden Gate Fields, a six-furlong first-level allowance for 3-year-olds.
"He's pretty quick," said Bonfante's trainer, Steve Specht. "At Santa Anita, he ran a little green.
"He always showed potential. He was ready last summer but hurt a knee. I had him ready in the fall, and he got sick."
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Although there seems to be little separating most of the entrants in Wednesday's featured eighth race at Oaklawn Park, it is easy to build a case for K.J.'s Gold.
He will face eight others in the 1 1/16-mile entry-level allowance, including quality comebackers Pike Place Gold, Rush Around, and Wind in Your Face. The purse is $32,000.
The probable field for the Lane's End Stakes grew considerably larger over the weekend, although Birdstone still figures to be a huge favorite in the Grade 2 race at Turfway Park on Saturday.
As of Monday, officials at the Florence, Ky., track expected nine to 12 3-year-olds for the $500,000 Lane's End, including Birdstone and local standout Silver Minister.
OCALA, Fla. - The filly Tingwithlasting is headed north to Keeneland and the colt Humorously is returning home to Calder Race Course following their victories in Monday's $100,000 OBS Championship Stakes for 3-year-olds at the Ocala Training Center.
The races, one division for fillies and the other for males, were part of the annual Ocala Breeders' Sales racing festival, which consists of six stakes.
ALBANY, Calif. - Saturday's El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields raised the hopes of two local trainers: Lonnie Arterburn, who saddled the winner, Kilgowan, and Jerry McArthur, whose fourth-place finisher O.K. Mikie finished fastest after a troubled trip.
Arterburn has been here before. He saddled Remember Sheikh, the 2000 winner of the El Camino.
"This is a bigger, stronger horse," Arterburn said of Kilgowan. "This is a great horse, the real deal. With Remember Sheikh, we were doing everything we could to get him ready for the El Camino."
ALBANY, Calif. - History repeated for 21-year-old trainer Kristin Mulhall as Tronare ($23.40) won the $90,000 Grade 3 Golden Gate Breeders' Cup Handicap at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday.
The Chilean-bred Tronare scored his first victory in the United States, defeating favored Soud by one length in the 1 1/8-mile turf race. The winning time on a firm course was 1:48.48. Last fall, stablemate Mister Acpen came north and won the Grade 3 Bay Meadows Breeders' Cup Handicap for Mulhall and rider Roberto Gonzalez.
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Sonic West, making his first start in blinkers, rallied past dueling leaders Pie N Burger and Crafty Shaw in the stretch for a two and three quarter length win in the Grade 3, $100,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park on Sunday.
Crafty Shaw finished second, a head in front of 3-5 favorite and third place finisher Pie N Burger.
ARCADIA, Calif. - For a guy whose Kentucky Derby prospects looked bleak two weeks ago, Bob Baffert sure has turned things around in a hurry. One week after winning the Louisiana Derby with Wimbledon, the three-time Derby-winning trainer struck again Sunday, capturing a roughly run at Santa Anita with Preachinatthebar.
ARCADIA, Calif. - Mike Smith got knocked down, but he got back up again. After doing a 2 1/2-pike with a twist when dislodged from Laditude at the start of Sunday's San Felipe Stakes, Smith returned one hour later at Santa Anita and guided Adoration to victory in the Grade 1, $300,000 .
The win was the first in three starts for Adoration since her 40-1 shocker in the Breeders' Cup Distaff here on Oct. 25. She had since finished second in the Bayakoa Handicap at Hollywood Park, and fourth in this track's Santa Maria Handicap, both of which were won by Star Parade.
